so, in viewing order, let's begin:
1. black swan
i saw this mostly out of boredom and the fact that i promised matt i would wait for him to see true grit. typically, i do not watch natalie portman films because her acting reminds me of someone with a large broom stick up their bum, stiff and uncomfortable. my expectations for this film were low, as they tend to be with major hollywood films, but i walked away from this movie pleasantly surprised how enraptured i was while watching it.
black swan is a film about a ballet dancer, nina sayers (played by portman) who lands the coveted role of the swan queen in swan lake. however, the intensity of the role, already present mental health issues, a crazy stage mom and a manipulative prick of a artistic director make for a slow and terrifying unraveling of a young woman who is poorly equipped to cope with these stressors.
this film is totally entertaining to watch. the film's director, darren aronosky, strategically blurs the lines between reality and fantasy in nina's life, keeping the audience questioning the reality of nina's experiences, even after the film is over. and portman's acting in this is the best i've seen from her since leon: the professional. however, i won't be adamant that you watch this film; i've watched way better films than this one, especially from aronofsky (check out pi or requiem for a dream for some really exceptional work) but if you're looking to kill two hours, it's not a terrible way to do it.
before i begin, i should note that i would not, under any circumstances, choose to watch this film independently. nonetheless, it was movie night at my house and this is what my roommates decided on. considering that if the choice were up to me, my poor roommates would likely end up being traumatized by lars von trier or confused by godard, it's probably better i don't choose our movie night picks.
all i'm really going to say about the other guys is, if you think rape jokes are funny or you consider femininity the ultimate insult, you will love this movie. truthfully, this movie has its funny moments and i occasionally laughed out loud but in sum, if your taste in movies is similar to mine, save yourself and don't watch this movie.
3. funny games (us version)
i have talked about my love for michael haneke on this blog several times. he is, by far, in my top three favorite directors. i have watched all of his films with the exception of one and have adored all of them to varying, unreasonable degrees. one of my very favorites is funny games (1997), hanake's german psychological thriller about a family held captive by two very creepy, odd and crazy young men. haneke has this wonderful ability to strip complex situations down to their very core, leaving the audience within a stark portrayal of humanity at it's worst. there are so many things about this film that make it smart, terrifying and fun.
unfortunately, haneke decided to remake this masterpiece in hollywood. yes, my distaste about this decision ran so deep it took me three years to finally put my resentment aside and watch his 2007 english version. and after watching the newer film, i was still left scratching my head, wondering what possessed haneke to do this.
oddly enough, everything about the american version is the same, with the exception of the actors and the language it is filmed in. the set, an all american vacation home, is almost identical to the one used in the older version. however, the feel and effectiveness of this version is lacking. maybe it's the fact that naomi watts and tim roth were cast to play americans, and their terrible american accents were distracting and unbelievable (i love you tim roth, but really?!). additionally, the actors who portray the men who torment the family over a twelve hour period are not nearly as good at making my skin crawl as the original german actors.
it's really difficult to put my finger on what was lacking in this film because it is, literally, the exact same film as the '97 version. obviously this likeness is only on the surface and if haneke accomplishes anything with his remake, it is proving that sometimes something really special happens when you make a film, something beyond the cerebral, that you just can't recreate in a remake. i'm going to leave you with both trailers and the advice that you leave the 2007 version on the shelf and look for the 97, german version. it is an amazing film.
4. true grit
here is another film from a couple of my favorite directors, joel and ethen cohen. not to be confused with the 1969 john wayne version of true grit (although both are based off the novel, true grit by charles portis), this film tells the story of a fourteen year old girl who sets out, with the help of a u.s. marshall, to find her father's killer.i'm not even sure if i can articulate my love for this film. it was funny, touching, and exciting. jeff bridges, matt damon and josh brolin (all cohen brothers regulars) are amazing in this film. and hailee steinfeld, who plays the stubborn, strong headed, mattie ross, is beyond great. her character is everything i look for in a female - smart, courageous and probably slightly nuts.
just go see this film. there really is nothing else i can think to say about this movie. just go see it. i promise, you will not be disappointed. (side note: mattie ross is my new fashion icon. seriously.)
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